Collapsible core for ingot-molds.



J. B. WALKER.

COLLAPSIBLE CORE FOR INGOT MOLDS.

APPLICATION FILED MAR- ZT, l 9l6.

Patented- M123, 1917.

2 SHEETSSHEET I,

I) ave/"tom .1552: JB. mix/ Q 1. B. WALKER.

' COLLAPSIBLE CORE FOR INGOT MOLDS.

'APPLICATSON FILED MAR. 27. 1916.

'LQMJ 1 6w Patented Apr. 3, 1917 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

PATTERN Elma/Mme To aZZ whom it may concern."

JOHN B. WALKER, OF BIRMINGHAM, ALABAMA.

- Be it known that 1, JOHN B. WALKER, a

citizen of the United States of America, re-

siding at Birmingham, in the county of J efferson and State of Alabama, have lnvented certain new and useful Improvements 1n Collapsible Cores for Ingot-Mo1ds,'of which the following is a specification.

My inventionzrelates to a molding apparatus for ingot molds and like hollow articles, and has for its principal object to simplify and perfect a collapsible core. which will protect the casting from cracking or strains as it chills, and which is especially adapted to have its sand coating rammed mechanically on a jolt machine or jarring table.

My collapsible core arbor is designed to reduce to a minimum the number of parts and the machine Work required thereon and to provide a rugged construction which will stand without appreciable wear tlrerough usage to which it is subjected. As adapted for ingot molds the'core arbor is; formed by four staveshaving a rocking joint with the drag by means of which they are centered and held to the drag at theirlower ends and yet left free when collapsing torock toward I is the useof a steel column with a downwardly acting .stave fastening means at its top in combination with iron staves. The expansion of the steel column being substantially greater than that of the shorter iron staves will serve to automatically'relax the stave fastening means carried by the column so as to allow theingot to cool without releasing the fastening meansfor the staves, the excessexpansion of the column locing sufficient to permit the core arbor to automatically '.contract enough to avoid cracking the ingot and jamming the fastening means. Even where bothcolumn and staves are made of the samemetal, the column due tov its greater length'will have an excess expansion over the stave which, though small linearly, w1ll,.by reason of the angular fastening connection from the col- Specification of Letters Patent.

Application file d March 27, 1916. Serial No. 86,920.

contaminanti cons iron INGOT-MOLIDS.

Patented. Apr. 3, 19M.

umn to the stave, be multiplied to permit an appreciable collapse of the arbor.

Another distinctive feature of my fastening meansfor the core staves, is that I avoid the useof toggle mechanism orxof co-acting wedges distributed throughout the length of the core arbor, which make it complicated and. expensive and require a considerable amount'of machlne work. Moreover, where it is desired to ram the core on a. ]olt machine, I have found it practically impossible to eliminate the lost-motion insuch stave connections sufficiently to hold the staves rigidly in fixed position on the drag during the ramming operation. In my apparatus the staves are left free of the column except when engaging the top stops thereon and my fastening mechanism acts to force the staves against these stops and downwardly against the drag to hold them immovably seated in the drag sockets. Ithus make each stave fast both at its top and bottom ends by a single device which, in my preferred arrangementis a. pawl having a rocking bearing'near the upper end of the stave and which rests with an upward inclination against the top of the central column in position to be engaged and pressed downwardly by a wedge means which, in forcing the several pawls downwardly accomplishes the fastening operation hereinbefore described.

A distinctive feature of my Wedge and pawl arrangement is the simple and efiec tive provision for insuring anequal action -on the several pawls under all operating conditions. This I accomplish by providing a top plate which is forced downwardly on the column by a wedge, and which is adapted to engage one pair of pawls ahead of the other pair. Preferably this plate first en gages pawls connected to staves which their outward movement are adapted to carry with them the other staves and thus serve to setthe whole arborin expanded position. The two pawls which are free of the top plate are then brought into a rigid interlocked relation therewith by wedges dropped through the top plate and inserted between the, column and the loose pawls and whichrthefiofore act to force thelatter outwardly uiitil theyabut against the plate. By this arrangement it is obviously immaterial if the plate has been warped or if the tion for any reason, as the wedge plate can be made to firmly engage all the pawls and hold the staves.

-A'hother feature of this invention relates to a type of corner joint which I have provided for the collapsible core arbor and which differs from my Patent No. 1,154,075) ii that I dispense with the use of fingers on the underlying flanges at each corner lap joint and provide instead a continuous flange with sutlicient apertures therethrough for the convenient venting of the joint. I also provide pads to space the overlapping corner joint elements and shoulders to widen the top edges of the overlying lips so as to increase the bearing on the inside for the support of sand and to reduce the clearance between the lapping flanges so that only the Required venting space is left.

As illustrative of the preferred embodiment of my invention, but without intending to limit myself to the exact details shown, reference is made to the accompanying drawings, wherein Figure 1 shows the core arbor in elevation in expanded position.

Fig. 2 is a view of the top of the arbor showing the shorter pawl like members prior to being wedged into engagement with the top wedge plate. I

- 'Fig. 3 is a plan view of the stool drag and arbor column showing two stuves in expanded position as shown in- Fig. 1.

Fig. alis a plan view of the top wedge plate.

Fig. 5 is a. side elevation of the column with one of the staves shown in vertical sec tion and in expanded position.

Fig. 6 is an inside elevation of one of-the staves;

7 is a detail perspective view of a corner joint.

Fig. 8 is a sectional view on the line mzc of Fig. 2.

Fig. 9 is adetail view of the top of the arbor showing the wedge key and wedge plate in side elevation.

Similar reference numerals refer to similar parts throughout the drawings.

My apparatus shown in the form adapted for the casting oi ingot molds, and as illustrated, comprises a drag l which forms a stool support mounted on legs 2 and having a central socket through which the lower end 3 of the steel column l is passed and connected thereto by a wedge key 5 driven through an opening in the end 3 and adapted to engage the undcri'ace of the drag stool. This wedge key is disposed in position to be conveniently driven in and removed between'thc legs 9, of the stool. In the top face of the stool or drag I provide four sockets 6, which are elongated and provided along their bottoms with sand holes 7 opening through the drag so as to permit the sand collecting therein to fall out of the socket. The socket is preferably rounded in transverse cross section but its particular shape is not of importance except that it is desirable to have it shaped not to interfere with the desired rocking move ments of the slaves as hereinafter described. The column is provided with a square base flange 8 which seats on the drag and is preferably notched at 9 along its bottom for venting purposes and for the escape of sand. The column is provided with four vertical wvebs 10 integral therewith and spaced 90 apart. These webs'i extend from the base flange 8 to and brace four horizontal arms 11 near the upper end of the column. arms are provided at their outer ends with upturned lugs 12 and they project beyond the webs 10. The top of the column is provided with a hole 13 for the crane hook and side hooks 1i, and below the latter is a taper slot 15 for the wedge key 16. This key engages a boss 17 at the center of a top plate 18 which is provided with an opening through its center so as to slip over the top of the column l. The underface of this plate is left flat, except for four bottom lugs 19 having inclined inner faces 20.

The staves forming the sides of the core arbor proper are formed by iron or steel castings which are all similar except in respect to their lapping corner edges. Two of the staves designated 21 carry the inner joint members and the other two staves 22 carry the outer joint members. on each of the staves I provide a pair of stili'ening ribs 23 extending from end to end thereof and between these ribs at their upper ends I provide socket bearings 24 which have bottom sand escape holes 25. In this socket bearing on each slave 21 I mount an upwardly inclined pawl 26 and on the staves 22 l similarly mount pawls 27 which are made slightly shorter than the pawls 2G and have a groove 28 in their side faces to 'ard the column -I-. It will be obvious, however, that the pawls 26 will serve to expand all four staves due to the manner in which the staves overlap at the corner joints of the arbor. These several pawls are preferably loosely mounted on pins 25) matlc fast in the ribs 22, there being sufficient clearance to let all the thruston the pawls be taken by the socket bearing 24. At the lower end of each stave I provide a rounded extension or bearing 30 shaped to fit into one of the sockets 6 in the drag and adapted to center the stave on the drag and form a rocking'bottom bearin; therefor. Both the bearing and the socket (5 are provided with registering grooves 31 and 32 respectively, which jointly extend from the top level of the drag to the sand ports 7 in the bottom of the sockets, thus providing an escape fol-sand wluch Wlll prevent it acclmmlatmg m the sockets. A

The

cross bar 33 is carried by each pair oi. ribs and is disposed to overhang one of the column arms 11 when the stave ls in assembled position and to engage the stop lug 12 a bu the arm when the stave has swung outwardly into expanded positioiu These bars are disposed under. the-socket bearings 2e and are spacedfrom the inner wall of the stave which is preferably provided with a The pawls have suflicient length to rest against the column l with an upward inclination when the staves are assembled and in expanded position, and in this position they present to the wedge plate 18 fiat bop bearing faces that lie in two horizontal planes.

' column is extended at eachside above the shorter pawls 27 to form sockets 36, see Fig.

This is perhaps seen mostclearly in Fig. 2.

In the wedge plate 18 the hole for the 4, through which the supplemental wedges 37 canloe dropped in position for their lower.

taper ends to enter the grooves 28 in the pawls' 27 and assume position between the short pawls2l' and the column. The wedges 37, as thus interposedbetween the column and shorter pawls 27, will act, when'driven dowiu to wedge the latter outwardly, causing them to rock until'their tops'swmg into engagement. with the bottom of the wedge plate 18. When used on a jarrin machine 44 the action ot the machine-wil serve to tighten these wedges as they are vertically disposed and heavy and will work down under the hammer blows of thelmachine. The staves 21 are provided along each side edge with an interned continuous flange 38 forming the inner member of each corner joint. The staves 22 are provided with fingers-39 which overlap the flanges 38 anda're spacedtherefrom by pads LO'cast integral with the top a'ndhottom fingers. I providejon the I column IlgldlYCQIlIlBCbGd to the stool drag as I inside of each finger a shoulder 41 which widens the sand supporting surface at the 5 top of each finger and, being of lessthickuses than the pads 40,. they stand slightly spaced from the'flange 38. Both the flange 'and fingers are perforated for venting purposes. I also provide venting holes 42 which extend thnough the flange 8 and register withholes43 through the drag. These holes also provide for the escape of sand.

in assembling the apparatus the column is seated on the :tooldragand keyed thereto by the wedge 5. Thestaves 21 are then' mounted in position by lifting theirbars 33 "over the lugs. 2 and seating their bottom beariugs 30 in the sockets 6,.their respective pawls 28 having been raised so as to rest, against the top-of the column 'asshown inparticular Fig. 5. The staves 22are then mounted in like manner on the column and drag, the top plate 18 is slipped over-the column and the wedge 16 driven home to force the plate 18 against the longer pawls 26 until the latter have forced the sta'ves 21 outwardly until they are stopped by the engagement of their and lock the pawls 27 thereto.- The staves 'bars 33 with the lugs 12. In thus moving outwardly the pads 40 will force the staves are thus held firmly seated in their sockets and are. locked against movement in any direction. With the core arbor thus set up I can proceed with the ramming of boththe core and cheek in a manner described in my Letters Patent No. 1,151,229 using a jarring table or jolt machine for this purpose.

After theramming operation the pattern 44 is held against movement relatively to the core as the flask is stripped by devices which engage under the side ooks 14'. The flask and said devices are not shown as they form no special part ot this case After thecore and cheek have been baked and reassembled 4 in position to be poured, the ingot'is poured in the usual way and/asi't chills and-0on tracts thegreater expansion of the column w ll automatically relieve the pressure of the wedge plate 18 on the several pawls 26 and 27 sulficiently to let the staves collapse parutiaily and move in toward the column, thus contracting the core and avoidingstrains on the. casting. If desired, after the metal in the casting has set so that there-is no danger of bleeding the wedge 16 can be knocked loose and the coreis then free to collapse completely. After thecasting is shaken out it is lifted with the flask over the collapsed core. My improved type of corner joint will hold the sand and yet willpermit an adequate venting at the joint. To reset ready to be the core arbor it'is only necessary to tighten the wedge key 1b in the event that has been loosened.

I consider it desirableto have the core the-whole molding apparatus can be lifted I crane to the top of the column. It will be ofithe jarring,table by connecting the understood however that the the column is madefast and which supports the] stems or core arbor sections. 1 v

t is

the plate 18 asthe latter provides the simplest' and most easily released adjusting r It'will be noted thatlthe flanges 38 and means.

preferable to utilize a wedge to adjust 1 lingers 39, which. form the venting corner olnt, are sodesignedv and spaced from the staves as to ermit the latter to collapse to-.

ward thev co umn to the desired extent before any of the joint members interlock The lugs-19 are useful to prevent the pawls swinging .too' far outwardly when the top plate 18 is raised, see Fig. 2.

It will be understood that the staves or, arbor segments may have any.configuration necessary for the article to be cast.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In combination, a sectional collapsible core adapted for being rammed on a jarring machine, a drag on which the core is mounted and which is removable from the jarring machine, a center column carrying rigid stops adapted positively to limit the expanding movements of the core sections, and a common means to expand and fasten the expanded core sections in rigid immovable relationship to both column and dra 2. .In combination, a drag, core arbor staves having bottom bearings to center them on the drag, a column rigidly mounted on the drag, means to limit the expanding movement of the st-aves, and a positive wedge lock means operative. downwardly at an acute angle between the column and staves to hold the stayes innnovably on the drag in their expanded position.

3. A collapsible core arbor comprising, in combination, a plurality of staves, a drag on which the staves are mounted free for relative expanding and contracting movements, at central column mounted on the. drag and carrying near its top a stave fastening means which includes stops to limit the outward movements of the staves, a top member adjustable on the column, and inclined connections interposed between said member and the staves and adapted to force the latter down 'ardly against the drag and outwardly against said stops.

4.. In a collapsible core arbor, in combination, a. plurality of stavcs, a drag, rocker bearings for. mounting the stavcson said drag, a central column connected to the drag and standing clear of the staves, positive means near the top of the stares to limit their outward movements. a wedge plate adjustabh-a on the. top of the column. and downwardly and outwardly sloping connections between said plate and stavcs, as and for the purposcs described.

5. In a collapsible core arbor, in combination, a. base, a plurality o'l stavcs mounted to rock on said drag, a central column con nectcd to the drag and projecting above the staves, cooperating stops on the staves and column to limit the outward movements of the latter, rocker arms mounted at the top of the stavcs and inclined upwardly to rest against the column, and a wedge means on the column .which engages and presses said arms downwardly and outwardly, asand for the purposes described. 1

(3. In a collapsible core arbor, in combination. a stool drag, a column made fast ,to-

the drag, stave socket hearings in the drag, staves having bearings mounted to rock in said sockets. means to limit the outward movements of the staves, arms pivotally mounted on the slaves and projecting above the same with an inward inclination, and wedge means at the top of the column to engage and press said arms downwardly and outwardly to fasten the staves, substantially as dcscribcd.

T. In a collapsible core arbor, a plurality of stavcs, a support on which the staves are mounted free to collapse, a central column fast to said support. means to limit the outward movements of the slaves relatively to the column, and a stave fastening means comprising a wedge means at the top of the -column. and pawls having a rocker bearing at lhe upper end of the staves and disposed to be engaged by a downward movement of said wedge means.

8. In a collapsible core arbor, the combination with a central column, a supporting means for the column and staves which permit the latter to move toward and from the column, means to limit the outward movements of thestavcs. and fastening means for the staves comprising pawls mounted to rock on the stavcs' and having their upper ends at dillcrcnt elevations, and a compound wedging means at the top of the column adapted to rigidly interlock with and press down on said pawlsj 9. In a collapsible core arbor, in combi-. nation, a base, a central column and staves mounted on said base. the stavcs being free to move to collapse. toward the column,

means-to limit the outward movement of the staves relatively to the column, pawls mounted to rock on the upper ends of the stavcs and upwardly and inwardly inclined to rest against the column. one pair of opposilc pawls bcing disposed with thcir upper ends slightly above the level of the tops of the other pawls, a plate mounted. movably on the column, means to force the plate downwardly into engagement with the higher pawls, and wedge mains interposed between the column and the lower pawls and adapted to spread the latter into interlocked relation with'the. plate.

10. 'In a collapsible core arbor, a plurality of relatively movable staves, a central column having means to limit the outward movements of the stavcs, a common support for the column and staves, pawls having rocker bearin s at the top of the sta'ves and adapted to fal inwardly against the column, one pair "of pawls being longer than the other pair'. a top plate movable on the column and adapted to engage the longer pawls and having wedge slots over the shorter pawls, wedges adapted to be passed through means ated top plate on the column adapted to en gage said pawl, substantially as described. 12. A collapsible core arbor comprising a plurality of staves each having on its inner face longitudinally spaced reinforcing ribs, a socket bearing between said ribs at the upper ends of the staves, a stop lug carried by said ribs below said socket bearing and spaced from the back wall of the staves, and

i a pawl mounted to rock in said bearing,

substantially as described.

13. In combinatiom-a drag having a plurality of sockets, there being bottom vent holes in said sockets, staves having rounded bearings adapted to fit and rock in said sockets, there being, one or more unobstructed sand escape passages providedbetween the side walls of the. bearing and socket and connecting with said bottom vent holes of the sockets, substantially as described.

14. In a molding apparatus of the char acter'described, a collapsible core compris-.'.

ing a base member, a column made fast at its lower end to the base member, staves forming the core arbor and mounted on the base member about the column, and a stave bit the column and adapted to permit a contraction of the staves upon an upward movement of the column relatively thereto.

15. In a molding apparatus of the character described, a drag, a steel column-rigidly connected to the drag, a plurality of iron staves mounted on the drag free to move toward and from the column, an adjustable locking memberlat the top of the column, downwardly inclined members forming presser connections therefrom to the staves, and means to limit the outward movement of the stares.

16. A collapsible core arbor, comprising a central steel column and surrounding iron staves which are spaced to permit them to collapse, a common support for the staves and column, to which the latter is made fast, and stave fastening means disposed at the top of the column and comprising connections to the column adapted to take advantage of the greater expansion of the column to release the staves for contraction.

column connectedthereto and provided near its upper end with radiating arms having lugs at their outer ends, pawls, staves having sockets to receive said pawls, lugs on the staves overhanging said arms and adapt; ed to engage said column lugs, rocker bearings for thelower ends of the staves on the drag, and' wedge means on the column adapted to cooperate with the pawls'to force said staves downwardly in their bearings and outwardly against said column lugs.

18. In a collapsible core arbor, a center column having near its upper end laterally disposed arms having stop lugs at their outer ends and having at its top end apair of overhanging hooks, a wedge key adjustable horizontally through the column, and a top plate movable thereon below the wedge key adapted to be rammed on a jarring table, of a stool drag detachably seated thereon, a

. The combination, in a collapsible core core arbor column keyed to the drag, a se-'" ries of stave sockets in the drag, arborstaves mountedto rock in said sockets, means at the top of'the staves to limit the outward rocking movements of the staves, and a stave fastening means at the top of the column from the flanges and from the flange bearing section when the core arbor isexpanded,

21'. In a collapsible core arbor, staves mounted to collapse toward each other, one pair of opposite staves having inturned corner joint flanges, the other pair of staves also having inturned corner joint flanges which overlie the other flanges of adjacent staves and which carry sand supporting ledges and have venting openings, and means to space the flanges.v

22. In a collapsible core arbor, staves having inturned flanges ateach edge, one flange at each joint being adapted to overlie the other flange at said joint, the underlying flange of each joint being continuous and having venting openings, and the overlying flange of each joint being interrupted to 23. Ina corner joint for collapsible arbors,

core arbor members having inturned spaced edge flanges which overlap at the joints, the outer overlying flanges of a jointbeing lnotched to form sand'supporting fingers, 17. The combination with a drag, of a,

and shoulders on the inner wall of the fingers to increase the upper sand supporting edges 1 thereof.

24. In a collapsible core arbor, arbor members havinginturned flanges at each corner joint which overlap and are spaced .each from the other flange, pads carried by one member of each joint and adapted to space the flanges, means to force the arbor members carrying the underlying corner flanges outwardly to expand the Whole arbor, means to lock said arbor members in expant-led position, and supplemental means to lock the arbor members carrying the overlying corner members rigidly in expanded position.

25. In a joint for collapsible core arbors,

13 a series'of inturned fingers'along a side edge of one arbor section and an inturned flange along the side edge of the adjacent arbor section, the fingers being disposed to overlap when. expanded from movement relative to each other or the drag. In testimony whereof I allix my slgnature.

J OHN B. WALKER.

Witness Nome lVnLsII. 

